Covid-19

PLAN INDIA IN ACTION ON COVID-19

As an organisation of global and national relevance working for both social development and humanitarian outcomes, Plan India is committed to making its best efforts to promote mass awareness, particularly among girls, young women, children and vulnerable youth, against the spread of the Novel Coronavirus in India.

Plan India’s response focuses on communicating public health information, distributing hygiene kits, dry ration kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) while ensuring that the needs and rights of girls and young women are addressed.

Through our outreach, Plan India is reaching out immediately to meet the urgent needs of 200,000 people on the ground. We are supporting the initiative of the national agencies like Niti Aayog, National Disaster Management Authority and Ministry of Home Affairs to name a few. We are also engaging with local government agencies, civil society organisations, donors and healthcare experts to ensure that correct messages and immediate relief measures reach our beneficiaries to keep them healthy and protected during this pandemic.

Plan India on-ground response until May 3

We are at the same time continuously monitoring the impact on our operations, placing utmost importance on the safety and well-being of our staff and communities. We are following public health guidance issued by national governments and the World Health Organization.

Goal: To provide gender-sensitive public health and humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable families so that the impact of the crisis on children, girls and young women is minimised and mitigated.

Working in our communities

Reaching the most marginalised in Plan India’s sponsorship states

Plan India has initiated COVID-19 response in its 8 sponsorship states – Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand covering 29 districts. We are reaching out to 6000+ marginalised families in each of these states with dry ration and hygiene kits.

While the lockdown has made it difficult for the teams to conduct field visits to the sponsored families, Plan India has initiated follow-up through phone calls to stay connected with its community members. The teams are making daily calls to understand the wellbeing, medical condition and other needs of the families. They also counsel them about the safety and preventive measures around COVID–19. Until April 30, Plan India team has reached 30000+ girls and boys over mobile phones.

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Extending support to around 100,000 people in 7 Aspirational Districts

Continuing our partnership with Niti Aayog, Plan India is working closely in 7 Aspirational Districts where it is supporting District Collectors in their initiatives and efforts to combat COVID-19. The aspirational districts where Plan India is working include Siddharth Nagar (Uttar Pradesh), Haridwar (Uttarakhand), Hazaribagh, West Singhbhum, and Khunti (Jharkhand), Karauli (Rajasthan), and Muzaffarpur (Bihar).

In Siddharth Nagar district, Plan India has been appointed as the Nodal NGO for responding to COVID-19. Plan India will lead the planning and monitoring of a coordinated response in the district under the guidance of the District Magistrate and will work in close coordination with the district administration and other local NGOs.

We are actively creating awareness on COVID-19 among girls, young women, children, their families and other stakeholders like frontline workers and doctors through factual information. Following the government directive of social distancing, the content (video tutorials, posters, leaflets) is being disseminated through digital platforms and mobiles. As of now, 100,000 people have been reached.

In consultation with district administrations, we are distributing need-based dry ration for the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society.

Reaching out to 3000 families in Pune, Maharashtra and Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Supported by Eicher Motors Limited, we are delivering dry ration and PPE kits to 1,500 vulnerable families whose livelihoods have been severely impacted by the lockdown across Pune and Bhubaneswar.

Help us deliver Hygiene and Sanitation Kits to vulnerable families. Support us now!

Supplying protection kits in Nandurbar and Amravati, Maharashtra

Supported by Reckitt Benckiser, Plan India’s Nutrition India Programme is supporting the district administration of Nandurbar and Amravati. We have facilitated 500 PPE kits, 500 N95 masks, 10 infra-red thermometers and 1000 alcohol-based hand rubs for the medical and paramedical staff in the district and rural hospitals who are working closely with the COVID-19 patients.

Plan India has also supported the paramedical staff and frontline workers in 61 sub-centres and 417 Anganwadis with 6000 triple layer masks and 50,000 bottles of handwashing liquid. We have distributed 150,000 handwashing liquid among the communities living in the remote villages of Amravati and Nandurbar. Apart from this, 41 Community Nutrition Workers under the programme are raising awareness on COVID-19 while keeping a tab on the undernourished children in the areas.

Supported by Metso India, Plan India has initiated distribution of dry ration kits and hygiene kits to 1184 vulnerable families. We are also supplying PPE and hygiene kits to 10 partner frontline workers in Alwar who will be assisting in the distribution.

Plan India has facilitated 2 fully motorised beds for Intensive Care Unit of Udham Singh Nagar for treatment of those infected by COVID-19.

Ensuring uninterrupted HIV treatment for pregnant women and mothers

Plan India’s flagship project Ahana is working relentlessly to serve as a bridge between pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS and life-saving Antiretroviral (ARV) medicine to ensure that their treatment is not stopped during the lockdown. Emergency Identity Cards have been issued to 358 Ahana Field Officers who are working in 357 districts of 14 states to ensure availability of ARV medicines and other necessities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
These committed frontline workers have so far supported 13,351 People Living with HIV (PLHIV), and more than 4800 positive pregnant women by delivering life-saving ARV medicine at their doorstep. Ahana is also contributing to the fight against COVID-19 by sensitising people on relevant awareness messaging and has reached out to 16,076 families.

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SAFETY OF STAFF

We are closely monitoring the current situation of the Coronavirus pandemic with regards to our operations in India as the safety and well-being of our staff and our communities are of paramount importance to us. We have constituted a Quick Response Team (QRT) to monitor and initiate actions to reduce risk to employees. The QRT is available 24×7 for swift decision-making and guidance to all staff and line managers as the situation develops. Frequent office sanitisation and fumigation practices are put in place along with alcohol-based sanitisers and awareness messages across all locations. In a slew of measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19, Plan India has cancelled or deferred all travel, events and in-person meetings, encouraging staff to use digital meeting tools. The staff have also been advised to work from home till May 3, after which a further review of the situation will be done. We are providing regular information to critical stakeholders like donors, sponsors and partners, and continuous regular updates and detailed advisories are being shared through emails, website and WhatsApp groups.

Eicher Group Foundation, Metso India join Plan India’s project to support children in vulnerable families.

voices of girl changemakers

From missing school to practising hand hygiene, social distancing, to dealing with issues like access to sanitary products, young girl changemakers from Plan India programmes share their experiences of living in the times of COVID-19. These videos have been shot by these girl changemakers and their family members as they try to bring the issues to fore. Do watch and share!

MANISHA, from Bihar shares her concern on the lack of sanitary napkins for adolescent girls. She is also concerned about nutritious food and safe delivery options for pregnant women during COVID-19.

PARI, from Jharkhand is scared to step out of her house as the pandemic continues. She is struggling, yet strongly adapting to the drastic changes in her lifestyle due to the lockdown.

SHRUTI, from Telangana amidst the pandemic is managing her studies online. While Shruti has the option to learn online, UNESCO estimates that over 89% of children are currently out of school because of COVID-19 closures.

SRISHTI, from Uttarakhand appeals to the people to show their kindness for street animals and keep food for them so that they do not go hungry.

PRAVALIKA, from Telangana calls on for all girls to be leaders in their communities and inspire people to stay safe and healthy.

CHANDA, from Odisha shares how her life has come to a halt due to COVID-19.

KOMAL, from Rajasthan is anxious about the continuity of her learning and education, as her college has been shut down amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

SNEHA, from Delhi is missing her mom who is away and could not get back home due to the lockdown. She is also missing playing outside with friends as the lockdown continues. But she is content that everyone is safe and healthy.

AARTI, from Delhi is utilising her lockdown time mentoring her brothers and sisters on how to lead a healthy life. She is also concerned about people who are losing their jobs and advises them to stay calm and safe as that is of utmost importance now.